Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

348 reviews

kaytheghost's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a beautifully written book, and one of the hardest ones I think I have ever read. There are a lot of people who criticise this book for wrong and ultimately transphobic reasons: I think it is confronting for some people to see trans people in books as, well…people? It’s a fun house mirror  that makes every aspect of darkness you encounter as a trans person, distorting it into larger than life, nightmarish versions of itself - it’s unrealistic for a reason, because how it feels is just as important as how it is.   Is it a hard read sometimes? Yes? Is it because it’s misogynistic? No - that’s just blatant transphobia trying to disguise itself by wearing a feminism t-shirt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Violence, and Toxic relationship

esoterina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i think watching i saw the tv glow would help amy. is this gauche to say.

very insightful book that hit a little too close to home at certain points, especially in regards to amy's gender troubles and the fears/hope of starting a family not aligned with heteronormative expectations. fantastic. hurt me again! a story that's not afraid to portray an ugliness and beauty so realistic to what trans women/fems may experience in reality. the characters are deeply flawed and so so so human. peters has a powerful command of her prose, i loved how she described certain concepts. i feel a deep ache at all the trauma these women have been through, and it makes me want to give my girlfriend a big fat kiss on the forehead when she wakes up in the morning. and i will, dont worry. anyway please talk to me about this book what the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Suicide, Transphobia, Death, Suicide attempt, and Domestic abuse

bmitch's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Suicide attempt, Abortion, and Drug use

Minor: Blood, Alcohol, and Miscarriage

obsessed with the drama of this! loved the description of ames detransition ~ all the confusion and emotions.

beesbutreal's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Abandonment, Self harm, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Bullying, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Outing, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Infertility, Hate crime, Drug use, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy

finleigh's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Infidelity

Moderate: Outing

Minor: Xenophobia, Abortion, Miscarriage, and Racism

clarkg's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The empathy, gravity, and humor with which Torrey Peters treats her characters is what made this book remarkable to me. Writing about queer family for a mixed audience is an unenviable task and Peters does so with a tremendous amount of grace. I have never read anything that so beautifully (and painfully) captures the tension between our desires, the people we have decided might help us fulfill them, and the struggle to imagine a future for which there is no clear framework. This book came to me at the exact moment I needed it and I suspect many readers will feel the same. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Infertility, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Misogyny

Moderate: Physical abuse, Cursing, Hate crime, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Outing, Abortion, Homophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Police brutality

sha's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Outing, Violence, Abortion, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content

beansandrice's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm glad this book exists, but it definitely isn't for everyone. The overlapping realities of trans lives and reproductive rights are incredibly complicated, and Detransition, Baby doesn't shy away from this complexity. This book isn't at all about providing answers, but I'll be thinking back to it a lot with these topics nevertheless. In the end, Detransition, Baby is about capturing a certain kind of trans experience, and Torrey Peters undeniably succeeds at this. 

It does still have a few rough edges, especially how it left me wanting in its various conversations around ethnicity and race. Admittedly, I almost DNF'd it because the many explicit sex scenes were almost too much for me. I don't regret finishing it though. I saw myself so much in these characters, despite the fact that they're very different kinds of trans people compared to myself.

Don't expect perfection, expect a journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Transphobia, Infidelity, and Hate crime

Moderate: Outing, Abortion, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Deadnaming, and Physical abuse

hazelbynature's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Grief, Hate crime, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, Gore, Miscarriage, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

milliemarilyn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Transphobia

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Abortion